Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Jill K. Baker Gower / Isabelle Vanlaere

If you liked yesterday's rings but still prefer to wear your nails the traditional way  you know, press-on acrylics  this ring could come in very handy, no pun intended.

Open it up and you'll find a set of emergency replacements should one of your own nails get chipped. (The nails are actually enamelled copper, so they're pretty sturdy, unless you're working in environments of 1,084 °C.)

You'll find all this and much, much more (from eye jewellery to lipstick necklaces) in the portfolio of New Jersey metalsmith Jill K. Baker Gower.

Bonus link: for that chainmail look, but translated into something better suited for daily wear, see these chain rings from Belgium's Isabelle Vanlaere.

Friday, June 26, 2009

It's been a while since I've posted Random Pluckings from My Bookmarks. Ready for another go? First up: plastic and metal from Hungaria's Gaál Gyöngyvér (I believe "Gaál" is the surname, because that's how they roll).

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Mary Donald / Lazy Oaf

I was a little whiny yesterday (Excedrin for three meals a day will do that to you). Let me balance things out with an "Optimistic Impulse," as the above ring is named. The piece is by L.A.'s Mary Donald, an artist who works with diverse materials to create gorgeous, organic jewellery (this one is wire, fibre and paint). Below, "Forever the Optimist" and other rings in rubber, nylon, glass, pearls and more.

Bonus link: the black cloud is frowny but the smiley white cloud must have had an optimistic impulse of its own. Acrylic happy/sad cloud rings from the UK's Lazy Oaf.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

André Lasmar / Susie Ganch / Cynthia Myron / Amy John

There is construction ongoing nextdoor. Drilling. Banging. Yammering. Hammering (both jack- and claw-). I'm headache prone as it is and this is just driving me nuts and bolts. Well, if you can't beat 'em, and you can't join 'em, and you can't make 'em stop please stop, you can at least be inspired by 'em. So, some construction-themed rings today, starting with these cement-block and wood-block rings by Brazil's André Lasmar (above).

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Jessie Yeager / la boîte à couture

Rice and silk may be evocative of Asia but Jessie Yeager's jewellery is actually influenced by her travels across the U.S. Check out this North Carolina jeweller for pieces with grass, harmonicas, map outlines and more...

...some of which come with a hidden surprise.

Bonus link:Speaking of rice, Spain's la boîte à couture has some cute rings shaped like sushi. No paella, as far as I can tell, but there is lots of cake!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Teresa F. Faris / Nikki Thiess-Kusiak / Danielle Zippan

If you've been reading my blog long enough, you know how I feel about birds. And, of course, you know how I feel about jewellers. Can you please tell me, then, how I'm supposed to feel about a jeweller who's in cahoots with a bird? Does not compute. In her "Collaboration with a Bird" series, Wisconsin artist Teresa F. Faris explores the "ideas of fragility and human/animal connectedness" by working "with animals rather than using their bodies." Each piece features a piece of wood that has been chewed or "carved" by a bird. They're making jewellery now, folks. Be afraid.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Regina Aradesian / Ursula Masterson

I like how "plique-à-jour" sounds somewhat like "peek-a-boo." Because that's exactly what the enamel does  it peeks out from the silver and lets the light peek through, as well. UK jeweller Regina Aradesian uses the technique with lovely results; inspired by her roots, she combines traditional Armenian patterns with "the intricacies of the cellular world observed through a microscope."

Bonus link:For more vitreous enamel, check out New York's Ursula Masterson; pictured is the pansy ring from her "Moderna" collection.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Sina Emrich / rings from The Rose

Terrific? More like amphitheaterrific! (I'll escort myself out now.) Germany's Sina Emrich turns wood into magic worthy of any stage. Visit her site to see more gorgeous wooden pieces and read about her Schmucknomadin - weltlernen ("jewellery nomad - world-learning") project.

Bonus link: not an amphitheatre but an Elizabethan theatre, The Rose fell out of use around 1606. These are replicas of rings found when the old site was excavated.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Maya van Lierop / Pilleriin Jürisoo

Here's another portfolio I've been awaiting for a long time. No longer "under construction" is Mayavanlierop.com, website of Dutch jeweller Maya van Lierop. Obviously. These rings are like coloured cross-sections of soap bubbles!

Bonus link: here's one more newly- launched site. Estonia's Pilleriin Jürisoo makes jewellery and objects in a variety of materials.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

titiMadam / Pyrrha

Cow, chicken and fox  aka Craig, George and Fanny  are just three of eight animals (plus one imaginary one) standing ready to decorate your fingers. For more lasercut acrylic goodness, including a line of housewares, see UK designers titiMadam. [Update: unfortunately, based on more than one personal experience, I cannot recommend shopping from them.]

Bonus link: more fox! Vancouver's Pyrrha makes a popular line of jewellery modelled after antique wax seals (even I own a necklace, despite my allergy), including this fox head ring.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Schmutzerland / Emily Bedford

These whimsical cocktail rings, with their framed Victorian illustrations, make me long for the olden days when they had things like hot air balloons and feathers and moths. Get a taste of those halcyon times by visiting New Jersey's Schmutzerland.

Bonus link: another framed art ring, this time from UK jeweller Emily Bedford. This "Clara" ring from her "Souvenir" collection features a miniature bird painting set under resin.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Shinji Nakaba / L'Iris Noir (Iris Simon)

Though I usually don't post the same jeweller more than once, the last time I mentioned this artist was four years ago and that was only in passing (no photos) so I think I'll allow myself this one. Besides, he's well worth a hundred mentions, let alone two! His rings are wildly botanical...

...clearly cool...

...and warrant some serious face time. Too bad that's made difficult by the fact that Shinji Nakaba is all the way over in Kanagawa, Japan. Then again, his work is on display in New York's Museum of Arts & Design and Montreal's Museum of Fine Arts so, if you're in either of those locations, go check it out!

Bonus link: if you want more faces, French jeweller L'Iris Noir (Iris Simon) has several collections featuring face rings; this one is from her "50% Devil" series.

About Me

Hi! Visit the shop at thecarrotbox.com and get the full version of the blog at thecarrotbox.com/news! I stopped putting a full copy of the blog here because I think Google thought I was some copycat weirdo.